There was the furore over Hamleys toy shop's decision to change the way it divided its stock into boys' toys and girls' toys after pressure from one particular feminist blogger:
http://delilah-mj.blogspot.com/2011/10/hamleys-toy-shop-promotes-gender.html
Then the outraged-right jumped on the band wagon:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/8952627/Toy-signs-changed-after-Hamleys-accused-of-sexism.html
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/tobyyoung/100124017/hamleys-sexism-theres-no-point-pretending-kids-are-gender-neutral/
The second article above is written by Toby Young, co-founder of Britain's first free school (really, how much more convincing do you need that free schools are an awful and dangerous idea?).
The established feminist blogosphere has been chipping away dutifully at all sorts of dreadful gender bias in toy ads and toys. Some have been mourning LEGO's early 80s approach to gender as demonstrated in the ads below:
Anger against LEGO's new line of "feminised" product and marketing has reached something of a crescendo with feminists blanket commenting LEGO's facebook page and setting up an online petition:
https://www.facebook.com/LEGOGROUP?sk=wall
http://www.change.org/petitions/tell-lego-to-stop-selling-out-girls
The f-word website is full of heartfelt posts from desperate feminist parents regarding gendered toys:
http://www.thefword.org.uk/blog/2011/12/all_i_want_for
Anita from Feminist Frequency had lots to say about this last year:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZn_lJoN6PI
And the Pinkstinks campaign has been gathering a fair amount of attention via facebook and other media: the women from Pinkstinks have made appearances on Loose Women, Daybreak and various local radio stations in the last couple of months.
The Guardian has been giving feminist voices a real hearing recently - whether it be the "pornification" debate:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/dec/01/feminists-pornification-of-women
or the first ever "Muff March" organised by UK Feminista to highlight the issues surrounding cosmetic "designer vagina" surgery:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/dec/09/muff-march-against-pornified-culture
So, are we in the midst of a new wave of feminist activism? Against the pornification of young girls and women in general? Against limiting gender stereotypes in adverts and toy shops? Against the absence of women characters in mainstream film? Against the lack of women in positions of power and visibility in our news media? Against pressure on women to opt for dangerous cosmetic surgery in search of the "designer vagina"?
Let's hope so, eh?
Instead of involving my-self in the ‘norm’ of a young woman’s Boxing Day, I have chosen against my siblings offer of rummaging in animalistic high street sales and decided to read my media teacher’s blog. Not asking for praise, just need to know that I’m not the only one out there not sucked in by sexist, commercialistic humanity. But I’m going off on a tangent…
ReplyDeleteWhat I’m trying to say is that your post on new-wave feminist activism gave me some hope that things are at least trying to change, though looking at LEGO’s Facebook Wall, it is still apparent that there are still some narrow minded individuals that dominate our society, stating that “isn't it time we extinguished all these burning bras and got ourselves out of the 1970s”. Well I, for one, feel that to move forward in life we have to reflect on our past, and I only hope looking back at the 70s will motivate girls see the real reasons for setting fire to their under garments.
Afraid I did not go far enough and could not bring myself to read any of the “Muff March” article on the ‘Designer Vagina’ as I have far too much of that talk in my house hold already but other than that thoroughly good read Sir, thanks!
A close friend of mine likes to think that by bringing light to important yet un-noticed subjects like these, he is “saving the world one person at a time”, thought you might find similar ideas within that thought.
Apologies for any awful spelling mistakes or grammar, it has become a sorta signature of mine…
Thanks Becky!!!!
ReplyDeleteThat TKAM CD. Track 11. Chorus.